Why didn’t Marvin Hagler fight Wilfred Benitez in 1982?

Wilfred was WBC junior middleweight champion and beat Roberto Duran decisively in January that year.

He called out Marvelous Marvin. It was a marketable and makable fight. It was a marquee fight, which Marvin had been screaming for since becoming champion.

Wilfred didn’t fight again until December, when he faced Thomas Hearns and lost his 154-pound belt.

Marvin spent 1982 fighting Caveman Lee (in March) and, for a second time (and nobody wanted to see it the first time, much less the second), Fulgencio Obelmejias (known, for the few who knew of him, as Fully Obed).

Why didn’t Marvin make room for Benitez in the middle of the year?

And why does no one ever mention this, considering how often it’s said on here that this, that and every other fighter ducked everyone?

Benitez was a viable, pedigreed fighter with a great record who brought more value, would have created more interest and shined more of a light on Hagler than anyone else campaigning at 160 at the time — and instead he’s fighting Caveman and Obel II (Marvin stopped him in eight the first time, five in the non-anticipated rematch). It makes no sense that this fight didn’t happen.

 

Well Hearns was well enough to fight Wilfred by December of 1982. And Marvin didn’t find a spot on his datebook until 1985.

 

Wilfred after the Duran fight said he wanted to move up to 160 and challenge Marvin. He said he felt strong at 154 but it was a strain to make the weight (he’d probably say that if it was 175 or 195, haha).

He 100% called out Marvin and said he wanted him. There was no hesitation on his part to fight Hagler. But Marvin decided he’d rather fight at caveman and a guy he’d already knocked out.

Looks like a duck, walks like a duck, quacks like a duck.

 

He was the first time I think. Maybe the second time too.

But this is an age when champions didn’t only fight two times a year. Marvin fought three times in ‘81 and three in ‘83. Yet he only fought early and late in 1982.

So he could have fit it in between. Or worked out step-aside money and gotten Obed a payday on the undercard (the Four Kings book talks at various points about other MMH mandatories like Roldan getting this). Or fought Obed mid-year and made the fight with Benitez instead of letting Wilfred get the big payday against Hearns while Marvin was counting pennies for his title fights.

There’s not a hint that Hagler ever considered or tried to make a fight with Benitez. Not that it didn’t work out.

 

Marvin not making this fight is what keeps us from having Five Kings instead of four.

Duran fought: Leonard (x3), Hearns, Hagler and Benitez

Hearns fought: Leonard (x2), Duran, Benitez and Hagler

Leonard fought: Duran (x3) Hearns (x2), Benitez and Hagler

Hagler fought: Leonard, Duran and Hearns

Benitez fought: Leonard, Hearns and Duran

One piece missing from this puzzle. There’s a time it could have been made and been almost certainly Marvin’s biggest payday (he didn’t get the other kings until later). Wilfred wanted it. Marvin …

 

Well Marvin never apparently even uttered Wilfred’s name.

When Sports Illustrated and the New York Times are reporting Wilfred’s words, that carries weight. He wanted the fight. He wasn’t scared of Duran, Hearns nor Leonard. He certainly wasn’t afraid of Marvin.

 

Yeah, on the flip side of that: Marvin sure talked like a tough guy who would take on all comers but he managed to ghost Wilfred.

My main thing is just why doesn’t this ever come up? It’s really a Five Kings super fight at least as big as any other that didn’t involve Leonard.